Surprises in the moonlight
by spell drift
Summary: All Hermione wanted to do was become the greatest witch she could possibly be and help her best friend win the war against evil. Being bitten by a baby werewolf was not in her 5 year plan. Life takes a turn when her only savior happens to be her 17 year old best friend and a scarred werewolf who's hesitant to even be in the same room as her.


Moonlight Surprises (Revised)

**1.**

**A/N: **I have no excuses. This is now in their 6th year, Dumbledore is alive, new concept, same story line.

**Life will always find a way.**

The crackling fire was the only noise to be heard in the otherwise silent common room. The very air was exuding warmth and comfort, something Hermione desperately needed at this late hour. Everyone else had already long headed up the stairs to their respected common rooms. Her mind raced and she could already feel the cold sweat rolling down her back, the beads pooling in the hem of her skirt. She knew she had only minutes before the shaking would begin and the very thought of breathing was agony.

Rolling away from the armchair was the last thing she comprehended before her body seized and she was violently thrashing on the floor. Her foggy, pain riddled mind vaguely knew she needed something to bite onto so she wouldn't slice her tongue off with her teeth.

It was useless though.

Suddenly she was lifted off the floor and placed onto the sofa in front of the fireplace; her mouth pried open painfully and quickly placed with a wooden brace. Hermione felt the tremors ebbing slightly and her chest expand with excruciating slowness as she took her first breath. Finally the arms holding her steady against the couch let up on their pressure and leaned back apprehensively.

"Blimey 'Mione, that was the worst one yet! You said this spell was only for cognitive uses only! These attacks happened to me when I was barely old enough to walk, why would they be happening to you?"

Her body finally went lax, "I don't know Harry, I did the spell correctly but we both know something went terribly wrong, this is just the consequence and the aftermath." Leaning up, she finally was able to sit and lean heavily against Harry's arms.

Harry frowned and wrapped his arms tighter around as if any second she would seize again. "This is why we never should have opened that bloody book." His mouth set in a grim, angry line belied the concern for her in his eyes.

Smiling, she just shook her head against his shoulders, "we both knew the risks Harry, but it has literally opened the world to our devices!" leaning away her expression suddenly darkened,"I'm not the only one who was affected here, you have gotten even worst nightmares than from even before..Voldemort doesn't even dare appear in them.."

Harry brought her shoulders back towards his chest, his cheek nuzzling her soft honey colored curls, " I've had nightmares all my life, this is nothing new to me, they're only a bit more frightening, but your body can't take this much more, we need to go see Pomfrey."

Hermione sighed as she felt Harry's body heat seep into her weary body, "I know harry, I'll just kip over there and get a pepper up potion and I'll be fine." bringing her legs from underneath her, she stood shakily up from the lush sofa and made her way towards the portrait.

Harry frowned, leaping up from the sofa when he noticed her stumble a bit, "Here, lean on me. I'll walk you to the hospital wing; you can't make it there on your own." Gathering her underneath his shoulders he looped his arm around her waist and supported her wobbly legs.

I smiled softly, leaning a bit more heavily against his side, "What are we going to tell Pomfrey when she realizes this is the second time I've come to her for my 'mysterious' illness?"

He shrugged his shoulders, his messy hair brushing his shoulders as he led her towards the stairs, "we tell her the truth, not all of it mind you, but enough to where she can help you more accurately, Wizards aren't the best at healing muggle medical problems." Leaning down, he brushed his lips against her forehead. "You never know, she might make a ridiculous statement about you being a werewolf!"

Hermione now steadier; stood up straighter and linked her arm through Harry's and laughed softly, gathering closer to ward off the chill from the corridors. Looking down he smiled, "you're the most important person to me now Hermione, I can't lose to you to a simple seizure if I can help it!" quietly he slipped his hand down her arm to steeple his fingers with hers as they entered the silent hospital wing.

Pomfrey, who was ladling potions into bottles, looked up suddenly at the sounds of footsteps in her domain so late at night. Unsurprised, it was her most frequent patient of late and another who was starting to give him a run for his money.

Taking her protective dragonhide gloves off, she wiped her sweaty hands on her robes, "what can I do for you Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger ?" With a wave of her wand, the dim lights of the hospital suddenly glared unnaturally bright.

Hermione grimaced, the headache she was just beginning to feel grew fangs and claws, "Sorry for bothering you so late Madam but there's been an incident you need to know about." I shuffled towards a bed and sank down wearily. Harry joined me on the other side and ran his hand soothingly down my back.

Pomfrey looking alarmed, cast her wand over the two muttering the diagnostic charm, seeing nothing immediately wrong, sighed in relief. "Well you two, I don't see any physical damage or see any magical damage to your core, what could possibly be wrong?" Harry grimaced and griped Hermione's hand a little bit tighter, "You see, we performed a spell a couple of weeks ago that didn't go completely to plan…."

Pomfrey immediately cut him off and with a wave of her wand, cast a complicated wand movement that had both of them dizzy and gasped with dismay.

"Mr. Potter! This spell is thousands of years old and has been outlawed in the restricted section for a reason!" she immediately went to her cabinet and rifled feverishly through its contents. Her normally quaffed hair going undone and strands flying away in her face didn't seem to faze the medi witch.

Harry grimaced, honestly not knowing where to start he glanced at Hermione's face and saw the same apprehensive grimace mirroring his own. Straightening her shoulders, Hermione firmly grasped his hand and steeled herself to tell the sordid tale of her blunder.

Knowing this wasn't going to be easy, she took a steadying breath, "Well you see, I had been researching defense spells, seeing as you know, all the attacks and with Dumbledore dealing with 'you know who', it was bettered to be over prepared than to be caught unawares."

Harry shifted on the bed and took up the tale, "I have been having vivid nightmares involving Voldem-."Poppy gasped and stopped him mid way, and "please don't say his name, never his name!" Harry grimaced, nodded and continued, "I have been having these dreams with 'you know who' and I didn't have a release, or protection for that matter to being directly linked with Him." Harry shifted uncomfortably, the headache Hermione was feeling was eeking through their connection, "before I start, would you mind giving Hermione a headache draught?"

Pomfrey looking frazzled already grunted at the interruption but got up nonetheless. Picking up a purple and slightly fizzy looking vial full of the requested draught, she brought over to Hermione's shaking fingers. Harry brought his own hands up to steady hers and helped her down the concoction.

Poppy glanced suspiciously at this; the unusual physical contact Harry was initiating was out of place in this even more upsetting situation. "If you two don't mind, first explain yourselves! What is the extent of this ridiculously dangerous spell you two have ventured and obviously muddled through?" both teens startled at the loudness of the Madams exclamation, her demeanor never above a gentle conversation, no matter the severity of the situation.

Glancing nervously between eachother, Hermione was slightly miffed at the healer's dismissal of her skills by "muddling through" an ancient spell never performed in the last millennia, continued anyhow, "The only abilities we've come across so far are shared memories and reverse maladies. Though, they progressed one after the other, once surfaced we could manipulate cognitively, but once asleep or through half wakefulness, we'd lose control of them."

Harry, nodded his head and leaned forward conspiratorially, "the only positive outcome we have to celebrate sadly would be the mental barrier that was erected that 'you know who' cannot penetrate or manipulate. The only curious thing would be 'how' this barrier was erected. Neither me nor Hermione sacrificed any of our magic to complete the full circle of power for the barrier to consume and maintain." He ended with a sigh.

Hermione who was otherwise silent through the explanation took off from Harry's thought, "From what I have deduced looked back on several times, I had done everything the spell required, from the ingredients to the complex motions of the wand. The only I can think of what occurred is a separate third party that entered the spell at the last possible moment. But what? There were no other contributing powers besides mine and Harry's, the sacrifice sight was out of the grounds and I had blessed them myself, the purity circle was completed and only broken when the spell was completed." Hermione's face was screwed up in concentration; her mind drawn back to that night to recall every step, and nuance that had been made.

Poppy sighed, while she applauded Hermione's bravery and her very loyal affections towards Harry to give up such a part of herself to help his cause, she had made a grave error in her calculations of this spell. " Hermione, my dear, you had done very well in this spell, more than anyone could ever hope for if this spell wasn't as dangerous as it is, but you did not have the all the proper education on this spell. The book in the restricted section was only a piece of what that spell originally was, and the only completed version of that spell sits here, in this very room under my own fidelius magic for items of dangerous nature."

Hermione looked as if someone struck her, her very demeanor slumped along with her shoulders, "what can we do Madam Poppy? The spell is irreversibly and I can't possibly come back from being within Harrys mind like I have, we are connected for life!" she cried and sank within Harry's arms

Poppy leaned over and patted her back, smiling she got up and her body seemed to waver for a second before completely disappearing in a part of the room they never seemed to notice before, their minds instantly forced to turn and study the opposite side of the room, forgetting completely about the wavering form of Poppy.

Walking back, she placed a large and dusty tome upon Hermione's lap, who was startled back to reality by the reappearance of the healer. The book exuded power and seem to draw everyone towards its pages, some of the power good, some so evil Hermione almost shuddered under its compulsion. "Is this what I think it is Madam Poppy?" Hermione asked in awe.

Madam poppy nodded, "this is the complete spellbook for everything Grey and Magical, this tome will help you understand what you're going through now and what is to come." She ended solemnly.

Harry swallowed thickly, "what's to come? There's more?"

Poppy, though knew that wasn't what was quite bothering the young lad, looked towards Hermione whose determined face belied the fear hidden within the depths of her eyes. "You both know that this spell was not intended for defense. It was a favored spell back in the eighteenth century for family protection or for arranged marriages." At Hermione's gasp of dismay, Poppy forged on.

Grimacing, "as you know, marriage was a permanent affair back in the last two centuries until it was outlawed by outraged light enthusiast's. If you were married by a formal contract, your magic was bound together till the day you parted in death. The males took in the girls they married and brought them full circle into their families. Their secrets became her secrets, her magic became his magic. And so and so on, depending on the light or dark nature of that specific family, though more inclined to dark than anything else, as you can well imagine."

Poppy gently took the book from Hermione's frozen fingers, her knuckles white from the strain of pressure she had from griping the book. "You may or not know, this was the only way Grey magic was created. The union of a White and Dark magic core user created a catalyst that was always rebounded upon the White core, infusing him or her with a certain amount of dark magic was irrevocably irreversible. Like a continuous internal bleed that can never be stymied."

Hermione's face was pensive, "but mine and Harry's core is light oriented! Why are our abilities so awful?"

Looking pensive poppy looked down towards the yellowed pages "There must always be a balance in this world, Magic was meant to be taken and given, always a balance between the two. This spell was created specifically for that very reason; Human magic users are the only creatures upon this plane that can choose to be Light or Dark. By undergoing this spell, usually unwittingly, the spell will create unfailingly a Grey user to create the balance."

Harry shifted closer to Hermione's side, the familiar call to be closer to her was getting more and more undeniable. "But no two White users ever used this spell I'm assuming?" Poppy shook her head, while the original use of the spell was forgotten it was widely known that only two different users were required for this spell, never two of the same. If attempted the spell would backfire and fail, leaving the two incompatible users unscathed."

Hermione leaned forward, "then why did it work for us Madam?"

Dismally, she shrugged her aged shoulders, "I am uncertain of that myself Hermione. Perhaps it's because both of your cores are stronger than the average witch of wizard, the possibilities are endless."

Slumping in defeat and weariness, Hermione slowly got up from the bed, Harry following quickly behind her, "Thank you for all your help Madam Pomfrey, I definitely have my work cut out for me. If you wouldn't mind could I have a handful of pepper up potions? My seizures always leave me sore for a couple of days."

Poppy looked alarmed, "your having seizures?! Why didn't you tell me?" Hermione looked abashed at having leaked out her secret reason for visiting the hospital wing in the first place.

Shaking her shoulders non-committedly, "it's one of the nastier side effects from my connection to Harry, we share our worst traits when we are either sleeping or through half-wakefulness. I don't know how to control it or manage it." Harry laid his arm over her shoulder and nuzzled her hair, "it'll be alright Hermione, I wish sometimes we could trade, but either one would be hell on our bodies. I honestly can't remember what a good night's sleep felt like."

Dismayed, Poppy glanced at Potter and noticed the drastically dark circles under his eyes and his sullen coloring, "And what pray tell, is your ailment in this Mr. Potter?"

Harry shrugged, "Its nightmares, nothing new mind you, but they have a whole new caliber to them than anything 'Lord whats his face' could ever hope to name or accomplish. They are a combination of mine and Hermione's greatest fear, and that right now Madam, is either me or her dying, from either perspective. The most horrible and gruesome deaths ever imaginable." his faced suddenly turned grim.

"Have you ever dreamed of your own death Pomfrey?" He said, looking straight into her eyes.

Pomfrey looked aghast, her pallor ashen. "No Mr. Potter I can't say that I have. How are you coping? How are you even standing here having an intelligent conversation? Not even the worst Crucio'ed patient could attest to that kind of torture!"

Hermione cleared her throat, "while that may seem terrible, they usually do not harm him as long as I'm there to physically touch him, as soon as we are touching it seems as if the nightmares never happened, the only reason we know the extent of the nightmares are through Leginmens. We both needed a crash course in the art after the first couple of weeks after the spell, it almost destroyed our minds through our connection, tricking us into believing the other had actually died and we started grieving unnaturally until we both saw and reaffirmed both of us were still very much alive."

Surprised, Poppy looked with new respect for the two of them, not many people at such a young age could manage and actually practice the mind art, let alone use it so effectively. "You both seem to have already accomplished so much, but the common factor is the need to touch each other when the nastier effects of the spell come about." Her eyebrows creased together in thought before she violently flipped through the pages of the ancient text before settling on a page with trembling fingers, "It says here that the only way this spell could ever be accomplished through two Light aligned users is through a different magic all together."

Hermione who looked up at this, motioned with her hand for the aged healer to continue, "Magic cannot combine with magic, as all proper witches and wizards fully know-." Hermione made an impatient noise, which Pomfrey glared at her for, "But old Magick can be fickle, it doesn't always adhere to the universal laws and acts out on its own, the combined power of the spell and an old Magick can completely rearrange the spell and make it an entirely new one." Pomfrey glanced between the two and frowned.

"Have either of you performed any other spell I should know about?"

Hermione didn't even have the decency to look abashed as she openly screwed up her face in thought as recalled any and anything that could have been performed in her years at Hogwarts. "No I can't recall anything that could be deemed old Magick, but isn't old Magick supposed to be completely unaffiliated with spells and potions? The only thing known about it is that it's completely natural occurrences with no rhyme or reason."

Pomfrey nodded her head, "Quite true Ms Granger, natural Magick as you said is entirely too fickly in my opinion, but there is no stopping it or guarding yourself against it. The only way you know to be affected is through a spell to see if you are under its influence. If you would allow me, I will be happy to perform it upon yourselves."

Harry who had been otherwise silent, looked towards Hermione for affirmation already sensing her resolve through their bond, nodded his head along with Hermione's.

Pomfrey rolled up her sleeves, taking out her hidden wand as she did so, "okay children, stay perfectly still while I do this." She waved her wand a few times in a intricate movement before stabbing the air between them.

Hermione felt a tug above her navel, much like she would through a portkey but this one was spreading warmth throughout her body as if enveloped in the warmest hug.

Harry also felt this sensation, but double fold, he could feel Hermione more through their bond than he ever could before the warmth completely enveloped him, he looked towards Hermione forgetting Pomfrey's instruction to stay still and felt himself in awe of her, she was glowing from within, her skin gaining a rosy hue and her hair gaining an even more glossier look. Suddenly her eyes alighted and turned towards him with a look of complete fascination and he just knew she was feeling the exact same sensation through her bond to him.

Suddenly the feeling ebbed and both felt the sensation as if they were floating down towards their own bodies. Symbols were slowly etching themselves across their bare forearms, not runes, but something completely foreign only Poppy seemed to be able to decipher.

Poppy was quickly making sense of the symbols before they completely disappeared, finally the last symbol disappeared and the warm glow that seemed to envelope the two teens ebbed before completely disappearing.

Lowering her arms, "well you two, congratulations! You two do have old Magick acting upon both of you, and together you guys initiated a soul bond, which is incredibly rare considering the only one to happen of this nature never occurs normally. While your specific bond does not have a label, it can progress to include any of the Bonds known to us today, which include the Loyalty bond all the way to the epic romance only true compatible souls can ever accomplish; The Soul Mate bond."

Feeling overwhelmed, Hermione swished her head back and forth as if to clear her thoughts, "So we have an unspecific Bond which we can push to grow into a lifelong connection both of us will be able to feel for the rest of our natural lives?" she muttered, looking towards Harry for affirmation but could see nothing in his emerald depths and with a sigh turned towards Pomfrey once more.

"Do you have any idea how we could more properly manage this? While this is fantastic, Harry's my best mate and all, but it's quite difficult to concentrate with me feeling his utter most hatred for Professor Snape during potions." Harry turned towards this and snickered, earning him a glare from both the females.

Poppy shrugged and glanced about the pages of the book in her lap, "There's not much known about the intricacies of the different Bonds, only that they are permanent and something of a wonder. But, there are certain diaries throughout the world detailing the process of the bond between the two people affected, though most of them are from ages long past and mostly unusable." Hermione sighed at this, her love of fact and truth refused her the beguiling promise of fairy-tale love and falsities of people long and dead.

Harry shuffled to his feet and loomed over Poppy's shoulder, his 6 foot frame something of a wonder to look at knowing he was just a shrunken weed of a thing back in his earlier school days. "But it says here Madam, the only way to make the bond grow stronger is through direct practice and contact with the other bonded mate." Harry scratched his fingers through his mop of a hair, the dark strands going in different directions and the flyaways giving him a frazzled appearance.

Hermione got up as well and looked through the paragraphs, vaguely noting they were in latin, and knowing Harry definitely couldn't read latin, glanced sharply at Harry and muttered something in French, Harry glanced up and frowned at her, "I know your frustrated Hermione but you don't have to be rude, she's only trying to help us." Hermione gasped and quickly sat down.

"Apparently we have discovered a new skill. We now can speak or read in the languages either know or have learned." Hermione said, turning towards harry who just apparently noticed he wasn't speaking in good old English a few seconds ago and grinned impishly. "You know, me and you can create a secret code when we are in trouble or need to be secretive." He said with a waggle of his brows.

Pomfrey nodded and turned a page before glancing between the two, "Your lives are irrevocably intertwined. There is nothing to hide from each other, the bond only helps further that by sharing your collective talents and life experiences, be they good or bad. You might just be able to speak Parseltongue now Hermione!" Poppy said with a small laugh.

This new information only served to make Hermione look even more dismayed. "Is there anything else we should know that's pertinent?" She said waspishly, he mood as sour as her stomach.

The Healer frowned. She knew the young girl was undergoing quite a bit of stress and dismissed her sharp tongue, "No dear, but if I find anything useful I will call you back, but I do suggest you tell the headmaster, something like this can be overwhelming and he has much more knowledge than anyone else I know." She ended and got up and placed the tome delicately back upon the shelf, its fidelius known to the two youngsters now until she forbade them once more.

Grabbing an arm full of vials, she placed them in a cloth bag and handed them to Hermione, "These are a couple of Pepper Up potions and a few Headache Draughts. If you have any more serious medical issues, please let me know. I do know that if you feel another seizure coming about, the easiest way to avert it is to be in contact with Harry, be it through touch or through your mental connection."

Harry nodded and gathered Hermione to head towards the door, "Thank you Madam Pomfrey, you've been loads of help." He nudged Hermione and she nodded her head in thanks as well.

Walking through the corridor, the cold seemed to creep into both of them as they headed back towards the common room. Through the bond between them, he could feel her misery, maybe not at their situation but more at her helplessness. "You know I can feel you, right? It's not all that bad Hermione, we can go through this together, learn together. And with Voldemort on the rise, this can only be a bonus in our arsenal of strength." He leaned closer to her and looped an arm around her shoulders, she looked up and him and smiled, "I know Harry, this is just all new to me and you know me, I just want to learn everything I can about something unknown and with nothing to read or study on, this Bond is just going to drive me batty."

He shrugged, "I know Dumbledore hasn't been the most helpful as of late, but when he gets back we will confront him. He bound to know something or another."

She laughed and hugged his side tightly. "I know what you mean, but I'm still a bit wired right now, I'm going to take a walk around the lake, seeing as how we've been walking and haven't come upon anyone yet, I'm willing to take my chances to clear my head with some fresh air."

He frowned, "do you want me to come with you? I know this coming from me is even weirder but its dangerous out there Hermione and I wouldn't want you alone." She smiled up at him, "It's okay Harry, I won't be long, but I need some time alone to think." She moved away from his warmth and headed out through the corridor opening to the grounds.

Harry watched her go with apprehension, he knew she could take care of herself, but with this new bond he couldn't help but feel more and more over protective of her. It was something he definitely needed to get use to. With sluggish feet, he turned towards the stair cases and headed back to Gryffindor tower.

He was definitely tired and didn't need any fresh air to clear his thoughts. Only a warm bed could put an end to his muddled brain.

Hermione walked along the edge of the lake, the usually choppy waters were calm. Not even the giant squid was about; the tranquility definitely eased her over tense muscles and allowed her to relax. She could feel harry become more and more lax, as if he was finally snuggled down in his bunk in the tower.

She smiled; his ability to sleep, no matter how bad a day had gone, no matter of the threat of nightmares, that man could sleep!

Suddenly the forest went unnaturally silent, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up sharply. Going completely still, she looked around, seeing nothing past the inky blackness beyond the tree line going into the forest. Looking past the trees, the only light she hadn't put much thought past illuminated the entire shore and she suddenly panicked.

The full moon.

How could she forget! The native werewolves in the forest would be incomprehensible with lust and hunger. The tree line was her only guard against the mind hazed beasts driven by their very cursed natures. It served as a barrier no creature could cross on pain of death, and looking through, she could see multitudes of yellowed and redden eyes. Her breathing suddenly stopped as one by one they blinked out, her fear locking her already frozen muscles painfully.

The moon which was so bright before was dimming by a large cloud cover, blocking its magical rays. And with a whoosh! The forest came back to life. The creatures going about their own business, the lake seemed to come alive with waves lapping upon her trainers.

Gathering her resolve, she forced her body to move towards the castle once more, fully intent on going back to the safety of her bed. Skirting the forest line completely, she almost made it upon the first step leading up to the castle when she heard the most peculiar sound. It was quite a whimper almost, a plea for help that pulled against her nature to aid the poor creature, be they dangerous or harmless.

Shaking her head, the werewolves were still about! The moon was barely across the sky, wouldn't be setting for hours from now. But the sound came stronger than before, more closely and finally she could take no more. Gathering her cloak more tightly about herself she stepped away from the path and headed towards the one tree that was beyond the barrier of the forest, its roots dug deep into the ground heading towards the lake, as if drawing the very life it needed from its black waters.

The sound came again, but this time it was definitely a whimper and finally she came upon the creature, its form shivering violently against the blanket it was wrapped in. The wind cut sharply from the surface of the water, hitting it directly with all its biting force. Kneeling down, her cloak fanned about her sides, she lifted the ratted old blanket and found a small puppy, brown in color and obviously very young. Its nose snuffled along as it searching for food.

Throwing caution to the wind, she deemed the dog harmless enough. Gently picking it up, she vaguely noted that it was boy, its floppy yet pointed ears were frozen to the touch as she caressed his head in soothing motions, his hair albeit a little ragged was silky to the touch.

Suddenly the hair upon her arms rose in alarm and she wildly looked about, being so close to the edge was dangerous enough, but being half in and half out was like being between two different worlds. Spotting two yellowed eyes gazing intently upon her, she slowly backed up on her heels, noticing a piece of paper underneath a rock; she quickly snatched it up and tucked the puppy underneath her, then darted quickly towards the castle.

She knew that that eerie yellowed gaze would follow her unto her dreams for many nights to come. The war between the light and the dark had progressed into the vast and many species of the magical world and it was well known werewolves were on the very frontier of the dark army.

Panting with both adrenaline and exhaustion, she made her way towards the staircase and all but fell into a heap upon the frigid stairs. Settling the puppy upon her lap, her robes tucked securely around his still shivering form, she remembered the note crumpled her fisted palm.

Opening it with trembling fingers, she scanned its contents,

"_With a regret so deep it nearly immobilizes me, I must leave this precious child behind, my beloved puppy into the care of a much more fortunate being. These times are dark, and with a heavy heart, I wish him a life than a painful death he would gain by remaining by my side. He is but only 3 moons old and just coming into his first full transformation-"_

Hermione stopped reading, the words sending a dark and foreboding sense of dread rushing down her spine, the words were beginning to sound as if this puppy was more than what she first had even began to understand, these words meaning..

The sharp nip that came through her robes on her belly soon had her scrambling to open the fabric, a stinging and flashing warmth spreading from the nick she now saw on her bare stomach was rushing up towards her sternum and soon she was immobilized with fear and pain. Straining with tense muscles, she angled her neck to look upon what she now knew to be a infant werewolf and saw the gleam of intelligence she missed earlier in her haste to get away from the forest in the all black eyes, the whites all bit consumed in the enlarged pupils commonly characterized in werewolves. Even as she looked upon the innocent gaze, she knew the instincts driving this animal present in her lap forced him to open his tiny jaws and bite her, for reason unknown to her.

Sighing in relief at the pain receding from her body, she knew her life was forever changed, whether or not the bite made her werewolf, she was no longer fully human.

Her strained fingers still locked onto her robes, she now noticed the frigid air was no longer as biting, her flushed body seemed to be emanating heat now. Hearing something crinkle, she glanced down onto the floor where her foot had nudged the note, she leaned down, her belly encasing the young werewolf who was now curled into a tight ball she now felt moving as if to nuzzle closer, seeking what, she did not know.

Unfurling the rumbled parchment, she continued reading,

"_-His first full transformation and his teeth are now laced with poison capable of transforming people; I urge you if you are human and you find my puppy please be careful to not let him bite you. The ministry has always been against my people and with the new Criticism against Creatures bill it is almost impossible for me to take care of him or provide for him._

_I ask if you find him, to please treat him as a new life and not a creature of the damned. My gratitude binds me to you forever, I have named him Luca, and I am forever grateful."_

Setting the parchment back down upon her lap, she glanced down to see the small werewolf looking towards her expectantly, the intelligence unnerving in what still looked like a small brown puppy to Hermione. Suddenly at a loss at what to do with in such a predicament, she sighed dejectedly.

Her ears suddenly prickled towards a sound, the noise unnaturally loud in the soundless open corridor, the forest loomed darkly through the opening of the castle and straining her eyes towards the dark, she couldn't fail to notice the sharpness of her vision and felt a shiver down her spine, the effects of Luca's, for now she knew his name, was already in effect and running through her system.

A mournful howl rang through the forest, the sound seemed to ring through Hermione's body and the message was clear to her, it was a final goodbye. Lucas ears perked up and he seemed to understand what the howl meant, for he whined and settled himself back into her lap.

Everything was quiet for second and then everything seemed to rush back into life, she could hear the wind and the animals in the forest, the sound seemed to ricochet through her ears, everything seemed so painfully loud and suddenly all she wanted was the quiet of her bed.

She stood shakily on her legs, gathering Luca close she headed towards the stairs taking one step at a time, and suddenly she was rushing upstairs her surroundings going by in a blur until she reached the fat lady's portrait. She murmured the password and entered the seemingly too hot and stuffy common room, the events of the day had finally caught up to her. Looking around the empty room she noticed the fire was still going strongly and she surmised Harry and Ron had probably headed up to their own dorms thinking she had already done the same. Walking towards her favorite sofa chair, she settled in with a wary sigh, and looked towards the now rapidly changing werewolf. His hair was now receding to reveal flushed pink skin, his arms crunching together and forming childlike arms, his whimpering growing in strength as the pain of the transformation wracked through his tiny body and Hermione became panicked, not knowing how to sooth the baby.

Gently she started soothing motions with her hand down his back, the hair almost completely gone from his body and his snout was receding to form a cute and up turned nose, she laid him on his stomach and supported his head with trembling fingers as she watched transfixed as he made his first human appearance since birth. Her mind automatically supplied her with the information of a werewolf birth, and remembered that they are born in their animal forms if the mother had passed down the curse through conception, only to remain as such until their first true transformation.

A sad and unfortunate reason werewolves never reach adulthood is because of the dismal death rate in infantile stages of development for their species. Parents unfortunately lose their minds during the full moon in the wild and kill their pups, only to go madder still when they transform back and see the blood of their children painted upon their skin. A starling crunch mused her from her grisly thoughts.

Looking down at the boy, a final crunch of his body finally transformed him into the tiny being now in her hands, his breathing was rapid and finally his whimpers died down and he lay still in her arms. Gently she lifted him up and turned his body so he was facing her and she gasped in wonder at the innocent face now gazing into her own.

His face was smooth and round, his hair was chocolate and soft to the touch and as she ran her fingers through his hair she noticed the curls so like her own. Besides the crackling of the fire his fast breathing was the only sound in the room, and suddenly he let out a huge yawn and with a sudden realization she noticed the late hour.

Gathering him close in her arms she headed up towards the staircase, she worriedly realized that the staircase would deny him access being a boy, but as she took the first step and then the second and the third she realized the stairs was not going to deny him, she surmised this because of his age and the stairs saw him no threat to her fellow dorm mates.

Entering the room she headed straight for her bed and drew the curtains closed, the cascading curtains allowed the moon to filter through with magic and for the first time she notice how similar Lucas features seemed to her own. With his fair skin and his chocolate curls she was half afraid the girls would assume it was her secret baby. She leaned down and with her now superior senses she noticed his smell was slowly becoming infused with hers, the warm baby sent was now tinged with what she now knew with gaining familiarity was her earthy scent, combined with the smell of parchment.

She was imprinting her scent on this child, and she didn't even know how it was happening. Suddenly distressed she gathered Luca close and snuggled down further into her blankets. It all really didn't matter at this point, it would seem she was his legally magical guardian and with the threat of impending werewolfhood she couldn't decipher logic to now newly acquired instincts that were now riding her hard to 'mark' the small boy as hers. Taking her wand from its place on her night table, she conjured a nappy from a shirt lying at the end of her bed. Satisfied the boy would make a mess during the night in her bed her mind eased a little.

Her tired mind was too tired to make sense of all these new sensations and feelings. She sighed and gazed down upon the head of the now sleeping child. Smiling, she nuzzled the top of his head almost subconsciously and closed her own eyes and slept.


End file.
